Ethics for Student Teachers

Teacher Education Program
Department of Physics
Illinois State University

(last updated 1/01/2010)

 

In addition to the professional teaching standards referenced in PHY 311, student teachers are expected to adhere to an addition set of professional standards.

First and foremost, student teachers must be aware that the conceptual framework of the ISU Teacher Education Realizing the Democratic Ideal serves as the cornerstone of professional ethics for student teaching. As such, every student teacher should know that the Democratic Ideal consists of four moral and five intellectual virtues.

The moral virtues are:

The intellectual virtues are:

Students failing to exhibit even one of these standards in a significant way during student teaching will not pass student teaching (regardless of earned grade), and the student will be barred from graduating under the teacher education program at Illinois State University. Concerns about such will be addressed through the "dispositions concerns" process. This is TED's policy and one the PTE coordinator fully supports.

The following are examples of failure to exhibit one or more of the ISU intellectual and/or moral virtues. Failures are not limited to these acts only:

Due to the importance of these standards, it is imperative that the student teacher objectively, systematically, and regularly review all standards in cooperation with supervisors - especially the cooperating teacher(s).

Additional responsibilities associated with Student Teaching:

a. The student has the responsibility to attain and maintain all of the stated requirements for student teaching listed in the Student Teaching Handbook. Among these are the following:

b. The student has the responsibility to be thoroughly familiar with the Illinois State University undergraduate catalog and the handbooks distributed for student teaching.